Many different types of equipment and methods have been used to prepare agricultural ground for planting. Each apparatus and method has its own advantages and disadvantages. A common goal to all is to minimize time and expense while best preparing the ground for planting of crops. No-tillage systems present one extreme, wherein no work is done to the ground after the fall harvest or before spring planting. At the other extreme are systems that make multiple passes over the ground to cut crop residue, rip the soil to minimize compaction, and level the terrain. However, no-till systems generally do not adequately prepare the soil for spring planting, and multi-pass systems are time consuming and expensive.
Prior art ground-working tools also have problems resulting from wear, which requires time consuming and costly replacement of bushings, bearings and the like, since there is no adjustability to account for component wear.
Therefore, a primary objective of the present invention is the provision of an improved apparatus and method for preparing agricultural soil for planting.
A further objective of the present invention is a provision of a multi-function ground-working apparatus.
Another objective of the present invention is the provision of a method of cutting residual crop, scalping the soil, cutting the soil to loosen compaction, and spreading and mixing the soil and crop residue in a single pass over the ground.
A further objective of the present invention is the provision of an improved ground-working apparatus having multiple tools mounted on independent arms to maintain ground-engaging contact over all ground surface changes.
A further objective of the present invention is the provision of an improved apparatus for preparing ground for planting, which is economical to manufacture, and durable and efficient in use.
These and other objectives will become apparent from the following description of the invention.
The improved agricultural ground-working apparatus of the present invention includes a primary cross bar adapted to be connected to a tractor for pulling the apparatus through a field. A plurality of arms extends rearwardly from the cross bar, with each arm being independently pivotally mounted to the cross bar with a parallel linkage assembly. The pivotal linkage assembly allows the arms to float upwardly and downwardly independent of one another as the ground terrain beneath each arm varies.
A plurality of ground-working tools are mounted on each arm. More particularly, each arm includes a coulter for cutting residual crop, a pair of scalping disks for scalping the soil and being angled so as to form ridges, and a ripper for cutting the soil to loosen compaction. Preferably, rolling choppers are mounted on the cross bar ahead of the arms for cutting residual crop. A spring finger harrow is mounted to another set of arms extending from the cross bar, so as to be located behind the tool arms. The harrow spreads and mixes the soil and residual crop.
In using the apparatus, the crop cutting by the rolling choppers and coulters, the soil scalping by the disks, the soil ripping by the rippers, and the spreading and mixing by the harrow are accomplished in a single pass over the ground by the tractor pulling the apparatus. Thus, the method of ground preparation minimizes the time and expense while effectively preparing the ground for spring planting.